PERRY’S PLANS.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 340, 22 January 1937, Page 2

PERRY’S PLANS.

PROFESSIONAL MATCHES May Play In English Tournament. World’s tennis player No. 1, Fred Perry, became a professional and forsook the defence of the Davis Cup and his title as amateur champion for £20,000. He signed a contract with a syndicate of New York sportsmen. In return for his scries with Vines he received a guarantee of £lO,OOO and a percentage of receipts that will bring him in another £lO,OOO. Although negotiations with the syndicate had been in progress for several weeks, Perry always denied considering turning professional. “Mr Perry is absolutely not considering turning professional.” But all the time negotiations were ripening between Perry’s New York lawyers and Francis Hunter, American professional player, who was representing the syndicate that will handle Perry. To a luncheon of sportsmen in New York, Perry said by proxy: “I am electing to accept the terms of the contract, feeling that the conduct of this enterprise, backed by a group of well-known sportsmen, will do much to raise the level of professional competitive tennis in the eyes of the public and place it on the sound basis which is deserves Perry himself has told me that he believes he can make £60,000 as

a professional, states a London journalist. Ellsworth Vines once said in my presence that he collected nearly £30,000 in two months, but Bill Tilden, the inventor of the present circus method of 'playing tennis, has never permitted his considerable earnings to be made known. A project is already being considered to bring him to London in time for a big indoor professional tournament the week before Wimbledon. If the negotiations are successful — and I do not think there is any doubt but that they will be —a large building will have to be leased, and the three that will be in the running will be Harringay Arena, Earl’s Court Stadium and the Empire Fool, Wembley. All three are eminently suitable.